Memento
by deadlynightfall
Summary: Memento: an object kept as a reminder or souvenir of a person or event. Kidd x Maka oneshot. I'd call it short, but obviously, it is not so.


You enter the spacious ballroom - lavishly decorated in silver and red, representative of the fast approaching holidays. Your dress moves about you with every step, the fabric clinging to your every curve as you escape to a distant corner of the room. You cannot avoid the crowd, and soon you are engulfed in the chatter of those that are happy, excited, glowing.

The room calms as he enters - they all stop and stare anxiously for his acknowledgment, his approval - as if they needed it, required it to survive. You simply gaze quietly for a moment, before turning away to hear his father speak.

"My children. The holidays, as you know, are closer every moment. Most of you will not be returning after the term ends, as your time here has come to an end. That is what this gathering is for. A celebration - to your life and learning, here, at Shibusen. Those of you that are not staying, you will be missed. Let us please, enjoy this night, as it is tribute to those who are moving on." He exits, leaving his son to take the limelight with his own speech.

"Fellow students... we have decided that in order to make the evening more enjoyable, we would hold the party in a masquerade fashion - with the men wearing masks and the women in extravagant dresses. However, some failed to receive notice - so I will have to ask the men to follow me to a separate room. The ball will start soon thereafter. Thank you."

Murmurs bubbled to the surface, questioning, the room emptying and leaving only girls blushing with excitement. You wonder what will happen next - you never were one to dance, but you have a slight hope that someone will ask you anyhow. Even though you believe the thought to be utterly ridiculous.

Several minutes passed, boys pouring out into the hall, faces hidden behind glittering masks, animal shapes and floral decorations disguising the man beneath.

You smile softly, exhaling and looking down as you turn away from the crowd. The voices become louder, more excited, as his voice calls from the stage once more: "As the men are all hidden, now, they will disperse and choose a lovely lady with which to dance. By the end of the night, they will remove their masks. It is up to you to make the most of the mystery."

You huff quietly, turning and walking towards the refreshments table, thinking a glass of punch would do nicely right now. You are interrupted, however, as a silky voice asks, "May I help you with that?" "Thank you," you reply, but add that you can fend for yourself, drinking the sweet juice and tossing the plastic cup into a waste bin.

The mystery man speaks again. "If you would be so kind, I would like to spend the evening in your presence." You're a bit surprised, but you nod, and he pulls you aside towards an empty corner, where he begins to chat quietly.

"I'm usually not one to talk much, but I believe in this case I shall. I do not receive an opportunity like this every day, where I can speak freely with a lovely girl such as yourself." A piano begins to play in the background, soft and sweet. Turning to the boy, you smile gratefully, thanking him. "Have you read any intriguing books as of late?" You nod, and reply that you have, and you quite liked a book by Voltaire you had finished recently. He gives a grin; white teeth glimmering against lightly tanned skin.

Your eyes shift to his mask, silver and glittering, depicting a graceful, bird-like creature. There are no baubles or jewels, just a few shimmering feathers and a long pointed beak, and you tilt your head curiously. His mask is ever so lovely, how you are so curious as to who he is, you tell him, and he replies, "Aah, I cannot wait to shed my disguise and show you as I am; but alas, the time has yet to come." Extraordinary, his language, and how his words drip like velvet and honey.

You blush a bit; you weren't supposed to be interested in this dance, let alone the people. But how interesting this mystery boy seems! He silently tucks a lock of his ebony hair behind his ear. "I do quite like your dress. You look ravishing - the colour brings out your eyes." Oh my, another compliment! You try to calm yourself; you can't let little nothings get to you. How silly that would be, you tell yourself.

The piano grew in sound, the feeling moving through you, every note striking a chord within you, shaking you to the very core. The song is gentle, but powerful, and the boy turns to you, holding out a white, gloved hand. "May I have this dance?" The music is flowing within you, and you oblige, taking his gentle hand as he sweeps you out onto the polished dance floor.

His hands effortlessly guide themselves to their places, a soft but steady hand resting on the small of your back, as the other joins the hand that is not resting on his shoulder. His movements are graceful - you've never known anyone who could dance this well. Letting the music pull you in, you smile appreciatively as violins join in, as you're spun around the room. You can't focus on anything but the music and him; you've become overtaken with a feeling you can't describe.

As you sway to the music, he pulls you closer, holding you to his chest, eyes unaware; he looks as if his soul is moving him, more feeling in this dance than could normally be comprehended. You savour the closeness - you don't know why, but you enjoy it. He smells clean and warm, like cinnamon and musk, and you begin to feel awfully self-conscious. You slowly realise that this boy is an enchanting being.

The music slows, and so does he, his eyes opening, golden and expressive. He slowly notices the distance that seems to be missing between you, but he makes no move to correct it, and you don't bother, either - this is captivating. Although... there may have been something in the punch you drank earlier.

Catching your breath, you ask, "Who are you?" even though you realise he still cannot reveal himself. "Wings have yet to be unfurled, truly there will be something worth waiting for, my dear." He pulls you away from the dance floor, and something settles within you, slowly dying, and you wonder if that was what made you feel so alive. There is a balcony nearby, behind tall, elegant glass doors set in pewter, though you wonder if pewter is strong enough to use as a building material. The mystery boy takes two flutes of champagne from a busy looking waiter, who walked away afterwards with no acknowledgment to either of you. Balancing the drinks, he takes your hand and leads you slowly outside.

The night is dark, and the moon is hanging low in the sky, silent for once. You can hear the quiet chirping of crickets as he hands you the champagne, "Don't worry, I've no ill-minded intent." You nod, sitting on the edge of a bench, looking up at the glittering stars. "Beautiful, the night always seems to be," you murmur, looking silently at the boy. You can see a faint smile beneath his mask as he sips at his bubbling drink. You're not in the mood for any drinks, really, but you try some anyway - you've never had champagne before. You decide that you like the taste, and the bubbles certainly don't bother you at all.

"I always wondered how this night would turn out," He whispers, sitting next to you, right hand in his trouser pocket. He pulls an ornate pocket watch from inside his coat and checks the time. "After all, I hadn't thought you'd even make an appearance - I know you're more comfortable in solitude." You wonder who this is, obviously he knows enough about you, but considering you just made your weapon a Death Scythe, it could be anyone…

"I've always wondered how you managed to keep men from flocking to you. Surely they see your beauty?" He asks quietly. "No. I'm not much in the way of looks. I'm just a weapon meister with a book fetish." He tsks. "Hardly. You're an intelligent, kind, lovely girl. You are much too modest." You flush a bit, but waste no time replying, "And you are quite the mystery, I'm rather eager to learn of your identity." The ghost of a smirk appears on his soft lips, and you ask the time.

"You will come to know me as I am soon enough. Patience," He replies, understanding that was the reason you asked. You nod sheepishly, and take another sip of your champagne.

Gently tucking the pocket watch away, the boy drank his champagne - slowly, you notice, and sets the now empty glass down on the concrete banister of the balcony. He looks solemnly to you, moving ever so slightly closer to you. He reaches out and takes your champagne, setting it aside and placing a hand on your cheek. You catch yourself leaning inwards, assuming this is because of the bubbling alcohol. Your eyes drift to the beak of his mask, it is blocking the view of his perfect and tempting lips... he gives an exasperated laugh. "Soon, soon..." You've been caught, but no matter, you won't let the impulse take you again.

His eyes sweep upwards, meeting yours. "I never actually thought I would ever come this close to you. I never thought I'd be able to sit with you, under the pale moon, and just enjoy your company, undisturbed. You've no idea the meaning this moment will hold in my heart." This bit of information makes your stomach flutter, but even so, all the more curious! You take a moment to piece your words together, and stutter anyway. How very unlike you. "Well, though I've yet to know just who you are, I must admit that in this one evening alone, you've managed to enchant me. This night has most definitely been memorable, if nothing else... but the curiosity, it gnaws at me."

You look up, eyes half-lidded, and lift a hand to peel at his mask. The hand that had been resting on your cheek takes your wrist, gently, and he checks the time again. "After I return." He stands, rushing inside. You hear Kidd announce that the ball will be ending soon, and that if the men wish to reveal themselves, they may now do so. Shortly after, the mysterious boy returns, sitting gracefully back down into his place.

"Now," he starts, resting one of his hands on yours, the other brushing a lock of hair out of your face, and tucking it behind your ear. Slowly pulling his hand away, his eyes meet yours again, though you can't tell the colour, your breath catches and you find yourself edging closer towards him. Your fingers touch his cheekbone, and his eyes close as he exhales softly. "I just want you to realise... that everything I've said tonight has been the truth, and nothing but the truth,"

You absently ask yourself why be would say that, but ignore it. Your fingers ghost over his lips, and you pause. His eyes are still closed, but he softly kisses your fingertips, before you place a hand on either side of his mask. He tilts his head downward, as you hook your fingers under the heavily decorated fabric of the mask. You pull the mask off slowly - you aren't sure why. Ebony locks fall into place, some striped with white. You understand now.

You gently place the mask down with the quiet murmur of, "Kidd-kun...?" His eyes open, those same golden eyes that you swear could burn a hole into your soul. He looks up, and you ask yourself who will apologise first. But before you can rationally come to a conclusion, his lips meet yours. A tender, gentle kiss, one that leaves you a bit breathless. Your olive green eyes meet his golden ones, framed by long lashes. He opens his mouth to speak, probably to apologise, but you stop him.

"No." Your fingertips glide over his cheek, and you realise that this moment is wonderful - you would never want anything to change. "This night, as cliché as it sounds, Kidd-kun... it's been magical. It's been ethereal. Sublime. I... thank you. For this." Kidd nods in return, it seems as though your words have given him something to think about. You smile sincerely, your fingers dropping from his face. There is silence between you for a while - maybe you've said something wrong? Kidd's eyes have drifted to the moon, perhaps he is thinking. You take his hand - softly - and he turns, silently questioning. Ignoring it, you smile again, exhaling a contented sigh. "I hadn't thought the night would turn out this way - and I wouldn't change that. I think maybe I may need to think a bit, but... I want more moments like this between us."

He nods, smiling thankfully. "I understand." He pauses, "Perhaps I should take you home. It's getting to be quite late." You nod, that sounds like a nice idea. You both stand, and before you leave, you take Kidd's mask - at the moment you don't know why, but you can figure that out later.

When you arrive home, you thank Kidd graciously for the lovely evening, as he waves goodbye. You shut the door, and head to your room, flopping onto the bed. You reach into the folds of your coat, and pull out the mask. This makes you smile. Running your fingers over the filigree, you close your eyes, and soon, you are asleep, memento close to your heart.


End file.
